Broken Silence

She skirted around the bottles. Freezing, she felt like a deer in the headlights when two bottles clanked together. Only hearing her father’s loud snores let her move. Lana looked around nervously and slipped out the door as silently as possible. She walked to the bus stop, smiling and waving at the driver as she got on.

Lana got off at the stop closest to school, ignoring the whistles coming from people as they passed by, she hunched her shoulders and looked at the pavement. Lana walked the short block to school and arrived just before the bell rang. As she walked into class it was harder to ignore the leers.
As class started the teacher announced a new student. Lana looked up and immediately noticed how striking the new boy was in his blue, slightly rumpled shirt that brought out the color of his stormy gray eyes. In black jeans and a hoodie he made quite the impression. “Hello, I’m Alex. I just moved to town.” Mr. Beecroft waved Alex towards the only empty desk in the room, which just so happened to be right next to Lana’s. As Alex walked over she was subject to venomous glares from the other girls.
“So what’s with her?” Alex whispered after sitting down, motioning to a girl named Christie who would look more at home in a strip club than high school. Lana looked at him, dreading the upcoming one-sided conversation. Alex just looked at her expectantly so Lana decided to chance it and scribbled a note.
That’s Christie, slept with the entire football team and she wants everyone to know.
Alex raised his eyebrows at the note, and Lana shot a look at Mr. Beecroft who was known to take class disruptions very seriously and dole out punishments first, ask questions later. Alex nodded and passed the note back,
You know my name. What’s yours?
Lana felt slightly flattered, it’d been a while since anyone had tried to talk her at school.
I’m Lana. Fyi, if you want to make friends here it’s best to avoid me.
Why? You seem nice.
Lana took her time responding, wondering if it were wise to tell this to a stranger. Surely he wouldn’t be any different from the rest of them.
Most of the ‘populars’ don’t like me
???
I kinda stopped talking to them.
?Why?
Lana felt her face slip into the mask she used to wear, the one she still wore on occasion. Mostly whenever her dad was sober enough to remember his daughter. She decided that this would be her last note to him, just two little words and she would be an outsider to him. He was hot, he would make friends, so Lana wrote and handed him the note ignoring him as soon as he had it.
I’m mute.
Unfortunately, just as Alex was passing the note back Mr. Beecroft looked up and saw him. “Passing notes are we? Just because this is remedial to you Miss Jayne it does not mean you can distract other students. And Mr. Castner don’t think that because you are new I will give you slack. Detention for both of you, today.” Lana looked down at her desk and pretended to be bored, but gripped the side of her chair hoping Mr. Beecroft would stop with detention and wouldn’t insist on reading the note. Alex looked like he wanted to protest but Lana shot him a look and he settled for snorting in disapproval.
************
The rest of the day passed and Lana saw Alex occasionally but avoided him, not really wanting to know what his response was to her confession. He was in many of her classes, but his attention was always monopolized by one of the ‘populars’. Lana tried to tell herself she didn’t mind, that she shouldn’t care and almost believed herself. Almost.
When Lana got to the detention room, she was surprised to see Alex there. She hadn’t expected him to find the room so easily, detention was in the basement of a sub-building. Not exactly easy to find. Lana eyed him warily as she took a seat. He smiled at her and they waited for the teacher.
Alex jumped when a crash came from the door and Ms. Vineyard strode in. “Lana! It’s so good to see you!” Ms. Vineyard exclaimed when she saw Lana. She frowned, “you haven’t gotten into trouble have you? You were such a good girl! What’s the world coming to?” Ms. Vineyard looked over at Alex, “Oh! And who’s this?” “I’m Alex.” He said, sounding uncertain. “Nice to meet you! Although you really shouldn’t get detention on your first day!” Alex looked at Lana in bewilderment. She dug a notecard out of her bag, Drama Teacher, enough said. Alex chuckled. Lana smiled faintly, liked Ms. Vineyard although the woman was incapable of saying anything that didn’t end in an exclamation or a question.
“Let me guess, it was Beecroft who sent you here! Am I right?” Lana nodded and Ms. Vineyard gave her a knowing look. “Just do your homework to pass time!” Ms. Vineyard set a timer down and left, where she went was a mystery.
Alex and Lana were the only ones in detention, or at least the only ones bothered to show up. Lana did homework while Alex read a Stephen King book. She finished just as Ms. Vineyard’s timer went off. Lana got up and stretched, glad she had gotten homework out of the way and wouldn’t have to deal with it.
“Hey, Lana since it was kind of my fault we got detention why don’t I make it up to you? We can go get coffee or something, I’ll buy. Just as friends, and you can show me around town a little. I haven’t had time to look around.” He finished quickly, trying not to make it sound like a date. Lana nodded and wrote a quick note. Sounds good, how’s tomorrow? Do you have a car? He looked puzzled when she asked about a car. I usually take a bus, but if you have a car… “Oh, yeah I have a car.” He paused, “it’s a little old though.” Lana shrugged and wrote down the time and place they would meet the next day.
“See you tomorrow.” He waved and left. Lana pulled her iPod out and pushed shuffle, surprised when her mother’s song came up.
It's the Circle of Life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the Circle
The Circle of Life


Lana closed her eyes, laughing silently. It was silly she knew, but her mother had loved this song despite it being nothing more than filler music in a children’s movie. The first few times listening to it after her mother’s death had been hard, but after a while of really hearing the lyrics Lana had figured out why her mother had loved this song so much. And after understanding the song it shook her out of depression, waking her up when her mother died, and it had even helped her get through her father’s downward spiral.


***********
What happened next was like a dream. Alex and Lana slowly got to know each other, they knew things about each other that no one else did. She learned that he and his mom moved here so they could be closer to his older sister who was raising a baby girl whose father had died while in the army. He learned about her mom, how she died not long after she was diagnosed with leukemia. He also learned that’s when she stopped talking. Lana tried to hide it, but he also found out that her father was alcoholic. She also learned that his father had left when Alex was only three.
They talked a lot, she showed him around town and he told her what his old town was like. Eventually Lana felt things get awkward, she too often caught herself staring at him, or thinking about him, or noticing how handsome he was. She didn’t know that Alex felt the same happening.
“Lana, I was hoping that we could go out tonight.” Alex came up to her during lunch, which was unusual most of the time one of the ‘populars’ would have his attention. Sure, where to? He read her response then looked uncomfortable and looked away. “I’m not sure you understand,” he swallowed. “Um, I was hoping we could go out.” Lana gave him a blank look. “Like a date.” Her eyes widened and she didn’t respond for a moment, still reeling. No one had ever asked her out, unless sleazy jerks counted. “We don’t have to if you don’t want, I just-“ He broke off and started again, “I like you a lot.”
Lana felt like grinning like an idiot and quickly wrote him a response. I would love to. She had to stop herself from adding an exclamation point. He grinned and they set up a date.

*********
“That was a great movie, wasn’t it?” Alex asked her as they walked outside. Lana blushed and nodded, knowing neither of them had payed attention. They had been preoccupied holding hands and staring at each other. Lana looked at the sky, stars were starting to come out and she smiled. As first dates go, this had been perfect. Of course, then it wasn’t.
As they walked someone grabbed Lana from behind, ripping her hand from Alex’s. “Give me your money boy.” Came a gruff voice which belonged to the man that presently had one arm wrapped around Lana’s chest and was using the other to press a knife to her throat. Alex slowly took out his wallet letting the man see, “let her go and you can have it.” The man made a noise, “no deal, wallet first.” Alex dropped his wallet and the man lunged for it, roughly shoving Lana away. Alex launched himself at the man and they started struggling. Alex grunted and the man leapt to his feet, sprinting away. Lana rushed to Alex, who still hadn’t gotten up and gasped when she saw him pulling the man’s knife out of his abdomen. “Alex!” She yelled and wasn’t sure who was more shocked, Alex, who’s eyes sprung open at the sound of her voice. Or Lana, who couldn’t stop staring in horror as more and more blood pooled around him. “Lana…..” He trailed off, looking amazed. She reached into his pocket, grabbing his phone. She quickly dialed 911. “Help! Someone was stabbed!” Lana couldn’t stop the tears as she tried to explain the situation. It was difficult, especially since her voice was rough from disuse.
By the time the paramedics arrived Alex’s eyes were closed, despite Lana’s pleas that he keep them open. They loaded him into an ambulance and she didn’t hear a word about him until the next day.
Lana hurried to the hospital the moment she heard that she could see him. “Alex!” She whispered. Since the 911 call she hadn’t been able to speak above a whisper. He looked at her, awed. “That wasn’t a dream. Your voice….” He laughed, “I thought I imagined it.” She shook her head and started to cry. He looked alarmed, “what’s wrong?” She laughed quietly, “Shouldn’t I be asking that?” He smiled, still puzzled as to why she was crying. “The nurses said I would be fine, nothing vital was damaged.” She gave him a watery smile, “I was so scared you were gone, you wouldn’t open your eyes.” “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He said softly. “Alex, I want you to know that-“ Lana swallowed, “I want you to know that I love you.” Alex smiled at her and she melted, “I love you too Lana.”